1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information collecting apparatus comprising a receiving information processing apparatus and collecting information through two-way communication, and an information transmitting apparatus transmitting information to an information processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Reductions in the size and weight of computers through downsizing have been particularly rapid and distinctive in recent years. A computer having the power and capability of a previously-designed large-scale computer has been reduced enough in size and weight to be carried with only one hand. This reduction in size and weight has occurred through introduction of liquid crystal into the display, increased integration density of arithmetic and memory elements, and higher capacity of the battery.
Moreover, the use of radio telephone systems as communication systems has become more widespread, enabling easier communication through a mobile telephone apparatus.
In addition, the INTERNET, which is accepted as an international network of computer communication, is now propagating explosively, also enabling quicker and easier access to information.
In a modern, information-oriented society, attention is devoted to a portable-type of information apparatus referred to us an Internet viewer. The Internet viewer is small enough to be carried with only one hand, and is a display terminal which displays on a display information received through a communication unit connecting the Internet Viewer to the INTERNET. By simplifying the functions of an ordinary personal computer, the Internet viewer is also intended to be light-weight and have a low price.
As explained above, effort has been made to a provide a low-price terminal for the use with the INTERNET. However, communication costs remain high. Using an example of the cost of communication in Japan, when a portable type telephone set is used as the communication unit, approximately .Yen.100 must be paid for a communication time lasting three minutes. Even when the personal handy-phone system (herein after referred to as PHS, in which service was started in 1995) is used, approximately .Yen.10 is required for a communication time lasting one minute.
Therefore, communication costs may be assumed to increase extraordinarily when retrieving various pieces of information using an Internet viewer.
Moreover, the INTERNET is also well appreciated as a mass-medium which is an alternative to or complementary to existing broadcast media or newspapers. In communicating over the INTERNET, the information sending party opens its home page for the convenience of allowing the information receiving party (such as a user having a terminal like the Internet viewer) to read information therefrom. When a mass-medium transmits information for services, it is preferable that such information is available to as large a number of users as is possible. But if users attempt to access the same home page, the increase in traffic is a problem. When traffic increases, users are placed in a queue, making information access more difficult and removing an advantage of using the INTERNET. Moreover, if users are forced to feel inconvenienced, the mass-medium itself prevents appears to prevent comfortable use of the INTERNET. Therefore, it is undesirable for the information transmitting party to bring about such a result.